That's Life
by Neopuff
Summary: The story of Jessie's life, complete! Takes all the flashbacks of her past, including her mother Miyamoto and the episode 'Training Daze', and combines them into one big story! Barely Rocketshipping Jessie / James Musashi / Kojiro


NOTE: I am writing this because people claim the episode "Training Daze", or for you sub-ers "The Origin of Love and Youth", doesn't fit in with the alternate canon of Jessie and James' pasts. I'll probably write one of these for James, too, maybe make it a second chapter. Then a third for Meowth? I don't know, maybe not. I really love Jessie the most haha.

Anyhow, this is me trying to connect all of Jessie's flashbacks and stuff. This includes Miyamoto (who I wish would appear in the anime so we'd have an english name for her ;A; ), Astin, Cassidy, Viper, James, Meowth, and Ash. I tried not to include any names of people or places that weren't canon, but occasionally it's hard to avoid that.

I also have a firm belief that Jessie and James were _not _best friends in Pokemon Tech, or even in the bicycle gang. Maybe acquaintances, but not BFFs. Also, Meowth doesn't have a big part in this, I'm sorry to say. Neither does Ash. I read somewhere that Jessie once claimed that she and Cassidy used to be friends, so I stuck Cassidy in the orphanage Jessie went to.

Oh, and I guess I can point of the fact now...Jessie is _not_ seventeen when she meets Ash. Even though it's a cartoon, you can tell just by looking at her. That's one big thing that bugs me about some fanfics, argh. I know she says she's seventeen in one episode, but I thought it was pretty obvious she was lying. I guess it was just me?

Please, if there's something that seems totally off about this, or if there's anything that you _know _didn't/couldn't have happened, please tell me. I kind of want this to be as accurate as possible with the very small amount of information we've got on Jessie's past. Or if there was some flashback I missed that you think is important enough to add to the story, please, tell, tell! Haha, I'm so OCD about this.

Also, no exact quotes in this fic. Everything is from memory and a few sites of information, but I don't have time to rewatch all those episodes just for quotes. So if you have any episodes memorized word-for-word and you know I have some quote totally off, feel free to correct it xD

Enjoy!

* * *

"Jessie, sweetie, come get your dinner!"

The red-haired three-year-old giggled in delight at the sight of her dinner: rolls, sushi, pizza, pudding...all made out of snow! But it didn't matter to her, it was the ultimate feast; delicious, nutritious, and best of all: with her mom! She started gulping down the icy substance when her mother, Miyamoto, pulled out a chair and sat across from her daughter. Jessie looked up to see a sad smile on her mother's face, and frowned.

"What's wrong, Mommy?"

Miyamoto let out a sigh, and took a snow-roll for herself. "Jessie, we're going to be moving again soon," she said. The upset look on Jessie's face sent shivers down the woman's spine; she hated saying anything that would disappoint her lovely daughter.

"Why, Mommy? What's wrong with here?" Jessie pleaded. She had a couple friends in the area, and she didn't want to leave them behind.

"Oh, sweetie, don't worry...where we're going, we'll have so many more opportunities..." Miyamoto pet her daughter's head. "An old friend of mine started up a big organization that she wants me to help out with. We're moving all the way to Viridian City! It's a big city, and Mommy will get a good job and make lots of money so that you can eat great food and wear nice clothes..."

Jessie smiled at the thought. "Oh...okay! If you say it's best, then I say it is, too!" She smiled brighter and jumped onto her mother, placing a soft kiss on the older woman's cheek.

Miyamoto reacted with a tight squeeze and multiple kisses to her daughter's cheek. "Ah, my lovely little Jessie! I can't wait till we get there! I'm gonna watch you grow up big and strong and you'll get married to the perfect handsome, rich man!"

Jessie laughed. "Yeah! I wanna get married to a super handsome guy!"

They hugged again, and Miyamoto sent Jessie to grab everything she wanted to bring along. The woman combed through her purple hair, sighing contentedly. _Is this really what's best? Does _she _have the right ideas for Jessie's and my future? _She sighed. If only Jessie's father had stayed with her, then life wouldn't be so difficult for the two of them. At least Jessie didn't know any better; all of her friends were in about the same situation. Miyamoto clipped in her earrings, put on a heavy coat, grabbed her suitcases (she'd packed much earlier that day), and stepped outside.

A large black car with a red "R" painted on the side rolled in front of her a few minutes later. The window rolled down, only to reveal a woman slightly older than Miyamoto, with dark hair and sunglasses on. She grabbed the glasses and pulled them to the tip of her nose.

"So you'll do it?"

Miyamoto looked sadly back at her "house", if one could even call it that, and back at the woman in front of her. She smiled sadly. "What choice do I have?"

The dark-haired woman smiled evilly and pressed a button next to her, opening the trunk of the car. Miyamoto placed her belongings in the trunk and looked over to see her daughter running over with one bag full of clothes. She picked Jessie up, kissed her on the forehead, and closed the trunk. Jessie stared at the car in awe, she'd never seen one before, and Miyamoto spent the first hour of their car ride explaining what new things they'd see in Viridian City and how much their lives would improve.

Madame Boss stopped the car swiftly in front of the Viridian City gym, and stayed completely still for a few moments.

Miyamoto held her sleeping daughter and stared at the woman in the driver's seat.

"Let me show you where your new life begins, Miyamoto."

* * *

"Look, Mommy, I'm a ninja!" Jessie, now four years old, jumped from chair to chair while slicing the air with an imaginary sword. Miyamoto had just gotten home from work, wearing her usual skimpy black dress with a red "R" plastered across the chest.

She chuckled. "You really are a ninja, Jessie." Miyamoto caught her daughter when she'd jumped too short to reach the next chair, and pulled her closer. "So, Sweetie, Mommy's just been assigned a really big project that's gonna get us a whole lot of money!"

Jessie's eyes sparkled. "Oh yay! Then I'll be able to get those pretty Princess Dolls?"

Miyamoto smiled and laughed. "Of course, Jessie! And you'll be able to get so much more!" She coughed slightly, changing her face from smiles to serious. "But, so, Jessie...for this job I'm going to have to leave for a little while."

Jessie's mood did a complete one-eighty. "What? But Mommy! What will I do without you?" She grabbed hold of Miyamoto's shoulders, and tears started forming in her eyes. "You can't leave me alone!"

Miyamoto smiled sadly. "Don't cry, Sweetie, I'm not gonna leave you alone. There's this wonderful place, not too far from here. It's called an "orphanage", and you'll be staying there with a whole bunch of other kids and a bunch of mommies to take care of you!" She wiped the tears off of her daughter's face, feeling a wave of guilt flood her mind.

"Are...are you sure?"

Miyamoto kissed Jessie over and over. "I'm more than sure! And I'll be back before you know it, Sweetie, alright? You just stay in the orphanage and think about your future! And don't forget to think about your handsome husband!"

Jessie tried to smile, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing. "I...I will, Mommy! B-but...please don't...don't go!" She hugged Miyamoto again, and the older woman grabbed the camera she'd borrowed from her boss.

"Here, Jessie, look up at the camera. I'm gonna carry around a picture of you so I can brag to everyone I see about how pretty you are!" She flashed the camera, feeling depressed at the fact that the only picture she'd be carrying of her daughter showed the little girl crying her eyes out. Miyamoto kissed Jessie a few more times. "So I have to leave as soon as I can...I already met with the people from the orphanage...they'll be here in a few minutes, okay?"

Jessie cried even harder. "Please, Mommy! Please don't go!" A knock at the door reminded Miyamoto of exactly what was happening, and she took off the round, green earrings she'd been wearing and placed them on the counter. She quickly replaced them with gold ones; ones that matched her outfit better.

"Jessie, please...know that I'm always thinking of you! Everything I do, it's all for you. I love you so much, Jessica..." Miyamoto finished hugging and kissing her daughter goodbye before opening the door. She explained to the green-haired woman in front of Jessie's current condition, and quickly ran out the door.

Jessie ran after her mother, only to be picked up by the other woman. Jessie screamed out, "I...I love you, Mommy!" before turning back towards the other woman. She hugged her around the neck and sobbed childishly into her chest.

The caretaker rubbed Jessie's back, and cooed a soft reassurance that her mother would be back soon. She watched as Jessie dutifully fell asleep in her arms, and stepped into the small house. Miyamoto had explained that they didn't own much, but most of Jessie's clothes were only in one drawer in her room. The caretaker bounced Jessie slightly in her arms, and looked over at the counter. She saw the green earrings and, since Jessie didn't have her ears pierced, assumed they were Miyamoto's. She grabbed them and stuffed the pair into her pocket, deciding to give them to Jessie later.

------

Jessie, having been in the orphanage for about two months, had stopped worrying about her mother. She played with the other kids happily, loved the orphanage caretakers with all her heart, and had delightful dreams about her future Prince Charming every night.

"So, Jessie, what do you want to be when you grow up?" the caretaker asked Jessie while holding her in her arms.

Jessie barely stopped to think, having discussed the topic with herself multiple times in the past. "Well, I wanna be a nurse, or a famous actress...or a tree!" She beamed at the older woman, who chuckled at Jessie's last choice.

"Well, I know you're gonna do something amazing one day!" She kissed Jessie on the cheek, and set her down. Jessie giggled and ran off to play with the other kids, and the caretaker sighed. "Her mother said if she wasn't back in a year then she was probably dead...I sincerely hope she comes back..."

* * *

"Seven years old, and already looking for career options?" One of the main orphanage caretakers chuckled and looked at the flier Jessie was holding. It was an advertisement for an acting, singing, and dancing school, off in another part of Kanto called Fuchsia City.

Jessie's face brightened the moment she saw the paper. She knew this was her perfect opportunity to pursue her career in acting. She shoved in towards the woman. "Please! I need to go here! I wanna be the bestest actress ever!"

The woman sighed sadly. Could they send Jessie so far away without any sort of parental guidance? "But Jessie, don't you want to stay here? Don't you want to meet your handsome future husband here in Viridian City?"

Jessie pouted. Less than a year ago, she'd thought she'd met her future husband. One of the other boys at the orphanage, whom she thought was very handsome, had stolen Jessie's heart and even told her he wanted to spend the rest of forever with her. Later that month, he was adopted, and completely left Jessie and all his friends behind. Jessie was crushed, and decided from then on that she'd never attempt romance again. "No! I need to think about my career, not some stupid husband!"

The caretaker was taken aback. Jessie used to always talk about how she was going to marry a very handsome, very rich guy who would sweep her off her feet and treat her like a princess. "...alright, Jessie, we'll move you to an orphanage in Fuchsia City...and you can get started on your acting career!"

Jessie squealed with delight and danced around. She sang, "I'm gonna be the world's bestest actress! Everyone will know my name! I'm gonna be rich and famous!"

The caretaker sighed and picked up the phone, ready to dial the number of the orphanage in Fuchsia that was closest to the acting studio. She hesitated for a second, wondering how Jessie was going to pay for the classes, but remembered that her mother had left her a considerable amount of money to use only when her daughter desperately needed to.

Jessie was busy saying goodbye to all of her friends and packing her things when the caretaker stepped into her room. "Okay, Jessie, are you gonna be ready to leave tomorrow morning?"

Jessie held up her duffel bag. "I'm ready to leave now!" she laughed.

The woman smiled, and let out a hearty laugh. "You're really prepared for this, huh? Well...alright, let's go now."

Jessie squealed again and followed the woman out the door and into her car, getting ready for the biggest trip of her young life.

* * *

Three years of classes had been enough. She was ready, and she was talented. Jessie and her two partners spent every day in the acting studio, learning every dance there was, every note on the piano scale, and every line from the best plays of the century.

One of her older friends at the orphanage, Astin, and her were walking back to their home from school. Jessie couldn't help but notice her developing feelings for Astin, but she chose to ignore them. _She swore off romance. _Guys did nothing but break hearts and dreams, she couldn't stand the thought of falling for Astin and losing him.

But it turned out he was different, he didn't want to leave her. Astin wanted her to come with him to the Hoenn region. She was shocked, she felt speechless. But only for a moment. She'd decided it earlier in life, and wouldn't go back on her own promise. "I'm sorry, Astin, but the big audition is soon!"

She felt it was the right decision, to let the boy go. She knew it, she loved him. He accepted her for who she was, and told her all of his secrets, his past, his dreams for the future. The only thing he'd never said before was that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and now it was too late. She was going to become a famous actress, and Astin: Top Pokemon Coordinator would just have to see her face on the big screen instead.

Watching him leave on the bus was horrible. She felt like a part of her was leaving with him, as if she was losing the perfect chance for happiness. But Astin was thirteen years old, and she was ten. She had to think about her future _career_; romance and friendship were things she could always leave behind and gain again. Some things were just of greater priority.

Of course, she and her two partners had thought the same way. Careers before romance, guys just got in the way! They all agreed to stray from the male population, excluding the male judges. At the audition, they all danced, sang, and acted like no tomorrow. They were perfect in every way: no stumbles, no fumbles, no mess-ups - everything was absolutely perfect.

So why did her partners pass while she failed?

She asked her teacher, who simply said, "Experience, Jessica, experience. They've been taking my classes for at least six years, and you've only been for maybe three years at the most. That's something the judges look at when they decide who passes or not."

Jessie couldn't stop crying. Her partners had abandoned her, she quit the acting studio, and the orphanage she lived in seemed to be shutting down. Less and less kids were being adopted, and the owners were running out of money. They started sending the kids to different orphanages across the country, not daring to move Jessie back to Viridian City where she'd come from. If Jessie went back, then everyone would know she'd failed. The caretakers in Fuchsia knew that for a fact, and didn't want to see the poor girl suffer anymore.

That was, until, they got the phone call.

Jessie had just recently gotten over her career failure. She realized that acting just wasn't for her, no big deal. She could still do whatever she wanted. And right now, all she could think about was Astin and her missed opportunity. Maybe if she did something involving pokemon she could find him again?

Her favorite caretaker stepped into the room cautiously, shooing out Jessie's roommates. Jessie looked up at the woman seated across from her; she had an extremely serious and horribly sad look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Jessie was afraid to ask, but the words spilled out anyways.

"Jessie, I know it's been a few years...but you remember your mother, don't you?"

Jessie froze. She hadn't thought about her mother in years, mostly she'd been so busy concentrating on her classes that she didn't have time for such thoughts. She nodded hesitantly.

"Jessica, your...your mother..." the woman paused. "Your mother never came back from her trip. She's...she's legally dead, Jessica."

Jessie took the news like a punch to the stomach. Everything went black, and she fell limply to the floor of her room.

* * *

She had stayed in her room for almost a week after the news came around. Her mother, the most important person in Jessie's life, was dead. She sobbed at the realization that she couldn't really remember her mother's face. It was horrid; Jessie spent hours crying her heart out.

The earrings laid on her dresser. Her ears still weren't pierced, but she was going to get them pierced the first opportunity she had.

Every cent Miyamoto had owned, all of it went to Jessie. And, Jessie noted, it wasn't a lot. But if she wanted to do something with pokemon, it was just enough to pay her entrance fee to Pokemon Technical School. Fortunately for Jessie, on her next birthday, her twelfth, one of her best friend's scrapped together enough money to buy Jessie an ekans. It was the only birthday present she'd ever gotten from someone besides her mother, and she knew she'd be friends with that girl for life. Her name was Cassidy.

Jessie promptly left for Pokemon Tech with her new ekans. She never nicknamed the creature, but kept it as long as she could.

As first glance, Jessie fit in easily with the rest of the students at Pokemon Tech. She wore their uniform wonderfully, she got decent grades, and had plenty of friends. Because of all the snow-eating in her childhood, Jessie felt she had a perfect figure, especially for a twelve-year-old. And not only were her grades decent, she had some of the highest grades in the class. Jessie was, after all, super smart and beautiful. At least, that's what all her classmates and friends told her. And she believed it.

Her last night at Pokemon Tech, the night before the biggest test of her life, she met a weak boy named James. They were both fifteen years old at the time, and although they were in the same class, Jessie had never talked to him before.

"Don't you have studying to do?" she asked him rudely. Since she was the most intelligent girl in the entire school, obviously everyone except her had to study their hardest just to match half of her score.

"Um...no," James replied. "I'm sure I'll do fine, my grades are pretty good."

Jessie steamed at him. "How dare you be so confident! I'm the only one smart enough to pass without studying!"

James glared at the young girl next to him. "Alright, then let's bet on it."

"What?"

"Instead of studying, we'll just play around all night. And tomorrow, whoever gets a better score wins!" James pointed dramatically into the sky.

Jessie stared at him in wonderment. This boy was stupid! She could win easily. "Alright, deal!" Jessie held out her hand, and James shook hers with his. Their glares towards each other created sparks of electricity, and some kids walking by creeped away in fear.

-----

"The worst scores in the history of our school!"

Jessie and James sat next to each other, taking a verbal beating from the school's principal. It was true; they'd gotten identical scores of exactly 13%. The _worst_ scores in the history of the school.

"You two were doing just fine! You had promising careers with pokemon! And what do you do? Fail the biggest test we have to offer!" his face turned red from all the screaming. "James. Your parents are going to be absolutely disappointed. And Jessica! You spent every penny you had to get here, and now you don't have anything to show for it!"

Jessie clenched her fists, but kept them safely in her lap so she wouldn't punch that principal in the face. She noticed James putting his face in his hands and sobbing quietly. A boy, crying? What a pathetic wimp. She knew someone would have to toughen him up.

"Ah, what do you know?" she suddenly shouted and pointed directly at the man's face. "I'm outta here! Later, losers!" Jessie stormed out of the room, leaving James alone with the principal.

----

Jessie grabbed everything she had, which still wasn't much after all these years, and bolted out the door. The first thing she needed to find was a home, and Jessie hated to admit that she had absolutely no clue where to find one. She decided to just start walking, her ekans would protect her if she came across any nasty pokemon on the road. She headed towards Saffron City, then off to Celadon, and soon started down Route 16.

It'd been only about a month since she'd left Pokemon Tech when Jessie met a group of bicyclists at the end of Route 17, in a place called "Sunny Town". They called themselves the "Bridge Bicycle Gang", and she immediately joined. And not only did she get a bicycle for herself, but she excelled at riding it. Jessie showed off her skills by swinging a giant chain around her as she rode, earning her the titles "Big Jess" and "Chainer Jess". She finally felt at home.

James had joined the bicycle gang, too. She didn't really remember him, and he didn't think much of her, either. He was "Lil Jim", she was "Big Jess". They were on opposite sides of the cycling road when it came to talent. So Jessie was somewhat acquainted with him, but didn't think much of it.

One day, about a year after joining the gang, realization hit her like a bucket of bricks. She was _sixteen_, and didn't know what to do with her life. All the other kids in the gang were around her age, some of them a little older, and she knew she was smarter than all of them. There was no point in staying when she knew she had to think about her future. That's what reminded her of her second dream: becoming a pokemon nurse.

She left the gang without a word, knowing how hard goodbyes were. Her first goodbye was, obviously, the hardest, and left her with never-healing scars. Jessie didn't want to think about her mother anymore, and vowed from then on to think only of herself and her own future.

Unfortunately, she still didn't have any experience (that word was practically murder to the girl), and barely any money. Medical school cost a _lot _of money, and that wasn't something that was easy to come by. Not only that, but her application wasn't the best. Failed out of Pokemon Tech? Yeah, that says she knows plenty about pokemon and should be treating them.

But Jessie knew this was the perfect job for her. She was, although easily angered and temperamental, still as beautiful and smart as she was in Pokemon Tech. The only difference was that she was the only person to remind herself of this instead of all her friends from the school.

Since she couldn't go to a medical school for humans, Jessie used all that was left of her money to enroll in a medical school for chanseys. And she was perfectly fine with it: she was getting good grades, had made friends with a clumsy chansey in her class, and was nearing graduation without too many bad marks. Unfortunately, all that glory had to end somewhere. When the chanseys were told to use "sing" on weak pokemon to force them asleep, Jessie couldn't keep herself awake. She fell asleep during class every time they practiced "sing", and ultimately failed out of school.

"_Another failure to add to my list_," she thought bitterly.

* * *

At nineteen years old, Jessie had no chance for a future in anything she dreamed of long ago. After leaving her good friend Chansey behind at the Pokemon Nursing School, Jessie went back to Viridian City and finally got her ears pierced, putting in the round, green earrings her mother had left behind and vowing to never take them off. She grabbed odd jobs wherever she went, even becoming a weather woman at one point. But every job ended up as another failure, and she couldn't take it anymore.

One day, while picking up food for her ekans at the pokemon center, a small group of thieves ran inside and ransacked the place. The leaders of the group were two people in black outfits, with big, red "R"s emblazoned on their chests.

The active Nurse Joy at the center stood frozen in place. "Who...who are you two?"

"How about it, should we tell them?" the woman smirked at the boy next to her.

"But of course, Chelsea, for they should all know to...prepare for trouble!" the boy laughed maniacally and held a dramatic pose.

"And make it double!" the girl chanted.

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all peoples in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Derek!"

"Chelsea!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"

A disturbed-looking geodude stood in front of them and chanted its' name in harmony with their motto.

Jessie stood there, completely stunned. Next to her, Nurse Joy was reacting badly, turning around and quickly pressing some sort of emergency buzzer. Jessie stood frozen.

The two uniformed baddies walked up to Jessie and laughed at her.

"What's this? Too scared to even move?" Derek smirked and leaned in close.

"Maybe we should just eliminate her, Derek," Chelsea suggested.

Jessie jumped at the thought of being killed there. She sent a powerful punch Derek's way, sending him flying. Derek screamed a few obscenities and put a hand to his bleeding nose, while Chelsea laughed.

"You've got guts, kid," she leered at Jessie. "How'd you like to come with us?"

Jessie stopped to consider it. A group of pokemon thieves? Could she really stoop so low as to join with a bunch of lowlifes like them?

"Do you get paid?" she blurted.

Chelsea smirked. "Of course. This isn't a hobby, you realize. This is our _job._"

Jessie didn't hesitate in accepting their offer. Derek glared at her, and Chelsea shook her hand.

"Alright, kid, watch and learn," Chelsea pointed to the still-freaking out Nurse Joy and shouted, "Go, Geodude!"

Jessie had to admit, she learned a lot.

* * *

Training in Team Rocket wasn't half as difficult as they'd told her. Jessie assumed she was just so brilliant and talented that it was easy for her. She didn't even consider the fact that her childhood had been so horrible, she'd been built tough, and was perfect for the job.

After less than a year of training in the organization, Jessie came across a familiar face. She never thought she'd see her friend from the orphanage so long ago in Team Rocket, but thought nothing of it.

Cassidy, however, took it the worst way possible.

"Jessica?!" she screeched. "What are you doing _here_?! I thought you were going to _do_ something with your life!"

Jessie was taken aback. This wasn't the Cassidy she remembered; this girl was rude and loud. Jessie snarled. "What are you yelling at _me_ for, you're here, too!"

They fought for almost an hour, before a Rocket Field Agent walked in and stopped them. Jessie never told Cassidy that she still had her ekans from so long ago, and Cassidy never explained that she had been so shocked and disappointed to see Jessie in Team Rocket that she lost control and just started screaming.

They never looked at each other with anything but hatred after that reunion, and Jessie didn't care. Because this was the perfect place for her to be, she was strong and smart and great at stealing things, and Cassidy would just have to deal with that.

---

She was too great, apparently. Jessie, after having passed almost every test to become a field agent, needed only one thing: a partner. But every partner she had was too weak, too pathetic; and she walked all over them.

Viper, Jessie's and many other student's drill sergeant at Team Rocket Academy, was severely disappointed at Jessie's lack of teamwork. He knew she was a great agent, and she'd easily bring them many victories and rare pokemon alike; but rules were rules, and she needed a partner.

Jessie stared into the sunset, hoping her next partner would be her last. Viper promised her that her newest partner would _have_ to stay, or she'd fail at this along with everything else. Jessie sighed before turning around to meet him.

The hair, eyes, smile...everything seemed familiar, yet she couldn't place them. "_James...where do I know him from?_" she thought. His look was completely familiar, but his attitude was not. He was cocky, and claimed that he never ran away from anything. Jessie could automatically tell he was lying, and assumed this partner would be just like the last ten. She sighed and tried her best to work with him, discovering that he wasn't as incapable as she'd originally thought. The Meowth they were paired with wasn't bad either, although she still wanted to know where she recognized James from.

On the night of their biggest test to become official Team Rocket Field Agents, it hit her. James and her discussed how they'd become the greatest team in all of Team Rocket, and his idealism reminded her of her attitude while she was younger. Jessie suddenly remembered that this was the same James she'd met in Pokemon Tech, and the same James she'd talked to many times during her time in the Bridge Bicycle Gang.

But if he didn't remember her, she wasn't going to bring it up. Maybe one day they'd take a trip down memory lane, and realize their relationship ran further than just partners in Team Rocket.

* * *

Viper had been right. Jessie, James, and Meowth were a strong, vicious, powerful team. They beat anyone who stood in their way, her ekans with James' koffing and an occasional help from their talking meowth could take down any group of pokemon.

"_It took twenty-two years, but I've finally discovered myself!_" Jessie sighed happily to herself in bed one night. She and James had just captured a huge load of flying pokemon and shipped it to their boss, Giovanni, earlier that day. Once again, the day was successful.

Jessie rolled around in her bed, and stared at her uniform on the wall.

"James?"

James had been sleeping in a bed on the other side of the room, and he groaned. "....hmm?"

Jessie glared at her black uniform. "I think we should redesign our uniforms."

James sat up in bed and looked at his partner with a confused expression. "Are we even allowed to do that?"

Jessie jumped out of bed. "Of course! We're two gorgeous and talented agents, and we need uniforms to match!" She posed triumphantly and grabbed a piece of paper, starting to draw her new uniform design.

James chuckled. "Alright, Jess, you can design some new outfits." He rolled back over, prepared to let sleep take over, and then realized his opportunity. He opened his eyes. "But, um...can we make them white? I've always preferred white to black."

Jessie looked up at the boy across from her, surprised that he had any interest in fashion. She smirked. "Sure, I like white better, too."

The next morning, Jessie had already finished designing and sewing the new uniforms. James had to admit, she was quick. When she popped out of the bathroom in her new uniform, which was even more revealing than the skimpy dress she'd previously worn, James spit out his drink in embarrassment.

"What do you think?" she spun around, showing off how short her skirt was and crop top she wore above it. "Don't I look absolutely gorgeous?" she winked at him.

James coughed slightly, punching his chest a few times. "Uh, yeah, yeah you do..."

She smiled and laughed before handing James his own outfit. He put it on, wondering how she got his measurements so accurate, and smiled at himself in the mirror. "And I look gorgeous, too. Jessie, these are great! You should've gone into fashion design or something."

Jessie smacked him across the back. "Oh, please, James! This is where I was meant to be, in Team Rocket!"

Meowth stepped into the room to see his two human counterparts grabbing glances at themselves and each other in the mirror. He laughed at their actions and stopped when they turned around, embarrassed. "What am I gonna do wit' youse two?" He sighed as they look at each other. "The new uniforms look great, Jess. Now let's go grab us s'more pokemon!"

Jessie and James linked arms and ran after Meowth, heading towards their infamous Meowth-shaped hot-air balloon.

* * *

Every time she started to soar, something knocked her back down.

Even with her success in Team Rocket, Jessie's demon in disguise existed as a small little boy known as "Ash Ketchum". He was strong, too strong, at least emotionally. The boy wasn't very bright, he wasn't exactly tough (Jessie still remembered when James knocked the kid down with a flick to the forehead), but he had a big heart. And that was a _big_ problem.

Unfortunately for them, James, Jessie, and Meowth often got into fights that led to the team temporarily splitting up. Jessie knew it, but refused to admit it: those twerps just had a much better relationship than she and James had. That's how it would always be, she assumed. Maybe someday she and James would reach a turning point, but until then...

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

* * *

...I am satisfied after writing this! -pose-

I hope that you, whoever you are, felt this made at least a little bit of sense. I love Jessie's character, haha.


End file.
